Bad shit happens to good people, but it never becomes unbearable, it is also never hopeless. It's tragic, for sure; heartbreaking, even. Martin is so skilled that this actually becomes a strength for the story, as it keeps you guessing, and rooting for the characters you love knowing that death may literally be right around a darkened corner. But, as one door closes, another opens. This is the exact opposite of The Walking Dead, and a direction that series should take, to be honest. There is a real sense of danger and doom.The characters are in a constant state of development, including those you hate by the end of the first book/season.Stick with it, JB, I encourage you; though it gets bad, it is always good (and justice will be served).

Thanks for that. I haven't read any spoilers that suggest the plot is outright sadistic, but it goes right up to that line, so I was worried.

[More book and Season 2 etc. spoilers] Sansa's story (over all the books) is exactly what you're talking about. It almost gets unbearable, but she escapes those situations before those horrible things happen. The thing with her dad was enough, and then she's stuck in this abusive situation with Joffrey, and it looks like he's just going to rip apart her soul... it's just... ugh. (This is why I had to look up her spoilers.) At the same time, there's really some beautiful complexity there, which is happening with Tyrion too. He's part of this horrible, evil family, and he fights on their behalf (particularly in Season 2), and yet he's a good person, a completely likable character, who apparently delivers on his virtues when dealing with the Sansa situation. I can't wait to see how all of that unfolds. Slowly, I gather...

like half of season one only. got the rest in thee ol netflix queue, other stuff kept getting in the way for some reason.

were you one of the wire nuts? have you watched GOT? i'm a sucker for the renaissances partially why this show GOT me good.

SPOILERISH THINGSauthor dude really likes to kill off his darlings ay // dont think i ever hated a child character more than that incestuous spawned piece of filth, i went into a mild depression after episode nine // i think the blacksmith bastard boy and jon snow are bros.

I am more excited for season 2 of GOT than I am for the return of Mad Men tonight. I was the biggest Med Men fan but it's been so long since it's been on. I'm not even watching it tonight cause I'm gonna have to rewatch the entire series before I can watch season five.

GOT actually reminds me a lot of the wire. The Wire is about the least episodic show that has ever been on television. It played out more like a novel than a television show. You can't watch one episode or half a season and really get how great The Wire is or was. You had to watch the entire season and see the entire plot line play out. GOT is very similar. You also have a large cast. The arrival of new cast and plot lines. The exit of beloved cast and plot lines. The never ending plot. Plus the shows aren't about a specific character or a group of characters. Ultimately each show is about the game. The Game and The game of Thrones. It's like the wire meets lord of the rings.

Last year, I ended up watching the entire series over fourth of july weekend. It was too hot to go outside so I stayed in, grilled hamburgers, drank cold beer and watched all of GOT. Think I'm going to do that again. Spend an entire weekend rewatching and watching GOT season 1 and 2.

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If you think this is going to have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.

Wow I didn't realize GOT was starting this Sunday. I've been singing this song to myself cause I'm so excited. Beware if you watch the video you will not be able to help thinking of this every time you see the GOT opening.

I find myself in the same situation with GOT as I am with The Walking Dead. I want to read the books but enjoying the show too much. From what I've heard, GOT is sticking closely to the books while The Walking Dead has gone a different path from the books. I'm still reluctant to read either one. The writing is so much better for television than film today I hope more beloved books are produced for tv over movies. Let Hollywood keep remaking old movies and tv shows. I just think the source material wouldn't translate as well to a film. The sopranos was originally intended to be a movie. It probably would have ended up as a forgettable movie too.

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If you think this is going to have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.

We often went to the cinema, the screen would light up and we would tremble, but also, increasingly often, Madeleine and I were disappointed. The images had dated, they jittered, and Marilyn Monroe had gotten terribly old. We were sad, this wasn't the film we had dreamed of, this wasn't the total film that we all carried around inside us, this film that we would have wanted to make, or, more secretly, no doubt, that we would have wanted to live.

great episode tonight, all season has been great. the hour goes by like it was 10 minutes.

spoils for S02E07

and that ending, are those burn corpses the starks or not? my feeling is that they are not, those wolves wouldn't allow it, but in this show no-one is safe, so as someone that hasnt read the books im clueless. I hope they are alive.

cant fucking wait for next week.

if someone chimes in, please no book spoilers, or give the warning and hide them.

I think Bran mentioned that two orphans were living there. Plus, they wouldn't have sent the Maester away if they were really going to kill Bran and Rickon, since they showed him the burned corpses anyway later. They just didn't want him wise to the ruse.

Still seriously fucked up though, the look on Theon's face at the end says it all. He's in way over his head.

that 10% is what im worried, so I agree with you both, those cant be the stark kids, cant imagine they'd be gone just like that.

what keeps getting better this season is the dynamic between Arya and Tywin, both actors doing terrific work and getting the best parts of the script (Tyrion always has that too). I could see them talking for the whole hour.

haha yeah that warlock guy is like Robert Blake times a million. with a bit of Dean Pelton thrown in for camp value.

so i'm now caught up to the latest episode. let's talk shit! this thread should be up to 100 pages by now.. i can only assume everyone is waiting for the whole series to end before watching any of it. such a shame but i can understand. i know a couple of people who had to stop themselves after watching the first episode because they didn't think they could bear the weekly torture. i did the same with the wire (the Qarth of shows, the best that ever was and ever will be) and it was the best decision ever.

on the subject of masterpieces, pozer's claim that this has the potential to be the greatest show that ever lived.. i concur! the production value alone places it above anything i've ever seen on tv. the locations are just incredible, they feel completely authentic even though they are impossible.. i don't want this show to end because then the world they are creating will cease growing.

i also want to voice my disapproval of book discussion in this thread. fuck the books, i wouldn't even have heard of them if it wasn't for the show.. there is no way they could have created the immediacy or emotional involvement i'm getting from all the amazing performances.. well, apart from lena headey, who must be the only bad actress in the whole cast. lucky her role doesn't require much from her but to raise her eye brow incessantly, my contempt for her brow is possibly matched only by pozers contempt for her incestuous spawned cretin.

so fuck the books. i pledge my fealty to rightful king-title of George RR Martin, Executive Producer, and the protectors of the realm, lords David Benioff and DB Weiss of house HBO. may the vile scripture that gave birth to this magnificent piece of entertainment never hinder or spoil the legacy of the one true popular art form.

the production value alone places it above anything i've ever seen on tv. the locations are just incredible, they feel completely authentic even though they are impossible.. i don't want this show to end because then the world they are creating will cease growing.

i pledge my fealty to rightful king-title of George RR Martin, Executive Producer, and the protectors of the realm, lords David Benioff and DB Weiss of house HBO. may the vile scripture that gave birth to this magnificent piece of entertainment never hinder or spoil the legacy of the one true popular art form.

I got a good deal on the blu for season one, ripped straight through it and caught up with season 2.This is some amazing stuff. Lots of "holy shit" moments.

The effects are so good that I don't really pay attention until something is a little TOO CG (But really, that doesn't happen too often). I get a little worried about the future of the show, but that just comes along with a good show.